Sanitary cup-dispenser.



M. H. LOCKWOOD.

SANITARY CUP DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. 19!].

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI MARQUIS H. LOCKWOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOB, IBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

PUBLIC SERVICE CUP 00., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK;

- SANITARY CUP-DISPENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed April 28, 1917. Serial No. 165,09}.

which flanged paper cups may be withdrawn from a stack of nested cupsone at a time after'lifting or removing a suitable cover adaptednormally to cl ose the open mouth of the container. Such a container andcup dispensing device is particularly adapted for use in doctors anddentists offices or similar places where an uncontaminated clean cup isrequired from time to time.

Preferably the container for the cups is an upright open mouth jar orcan provided with a removable lid or cover and the cup releasing orseparating device is adapted to operate on nested, flanged paper cupsplaced in the container in an inverted position.

Preferably I provide a plurality of circumferentially disposed resilientfingersextending parallel with the axis of the stack of cups, betweenthe cups and the wall of the container and adapted for longitudinalmovement. The outer ends of the fingers are provided with knobs, lugs,or noses projecting radially inward in position to be engaged by theflange of the topmost cup" when the latter is lifted by grasping thebottom thereof with the fingers. The cup flanges fit closely within theciroumferentially arranged spring fingers and the latter lie closelyalong the wall of the container, so that when the top cup is lifteduntil the flange thereof engages the noses or knobs on the upper ends ofthe fingers the fingers can be bodily lifted or moved outward. Thisresult is accomplished because the knobs or noses on the upper ends ofthe fingers preferably, normally lie within the mouth of the containerand even though the fingers are preferably flexible or resilient theycan not be moved radially by the pres sure of the cup flange until theends of the fingers are drawn out of the mouth of the container. Inorder to release the cup the fingers, or at least the upper endsthereof, are adapted to be flexed or bent out over the edge of the mouthof the container until the flange of the top cup can pass the knobs ornoses and become released.

'The fingers are preferably retractile, that is they are mounted so thatthey will automatically be drawn back to their normal position withinthe mouth of the container after they have been drawn out and flexedover the edge of the container to release the Y topmost cup. If a secondcup of the stack should stick to the top cup as the latter is wlthdrawn;the knobs or noses'on the ends of the fingers would engage the flange ofthe second cup and loosen it from the first or top cup by the impact ofthe knobs as the fingers are retracted. In-order to retract the fingersimultaneously, they are preferably secured at their lower ends to ametal disk which is heavy enough to give the required retractile force.The disk and attached fingers preferably fit loosely in the I containerthereby permitting them to be readily removed to clean the container orto place thereiira fresh supply of cups.

My improved cup dispenser is quite Sim-- ple as will be seen from theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows the covered container invertical section; Fig. 2 represents the container in vertical sectionwith lid removed and the top cup in position for release; Fig. 3 is atop plan view of the device with cover removed from the container; Fig,4 is a separate view of the spring finger assembly; Fig. 5 is asectional detail of the attachment of a spring, finger to the disk; Fig.6 is" a detail of the nose or upper end of the spring fingers whentipped with a ball, and Fig. 7 shows a modified form of nose for theupper ends of the spring fingers. L 7

Referring to the drawings 1t w1ll be seen that my improved cup dispenseris small and compact and adapted to hold about one dozen cups although,obviously, it can be out dust and prevent contamination of the,

The cups used are preferably the well known lhily cups l provided withan outwardly curved flange 5 at the mouth of the cup. The cups arefrusto-conical and nested to form a stack. The diameter of the container 1 is preferably slightly greater (about 1 g of an inch) than thecup flanges 5. lf paper cups ofthis character are 'to be dispensedproperly, some means must be provided for loosening the cups so thatthey can be separated one at a time. For this purpose 1 preferablyprovide a plurality of retractile fingers 6 of resilient materialadapted to lie between the stack of cups and the wall of thecontainer 1. In the form shown in the drawings three fingers 6 arecircumferentially spaced about the stack of cups 4 and lie parallel withthe axis thereof.

The fingers 6 are preferably narrow strips of thin spring steel althoughbrass or other suitable material maybe used. The upper ends of thefingers are preferably provided with knobs or noses adapted to extendradially inward and overhang the flange of the topmost cup. As shown inFigs. 1 to 6 of the drawings, I prefer to form the noses on the ends ofthe resilient fingers by attaching to the ends thereof a small metalsphere or ball 7.

ln order that the finger may lie close to the wall of the container theupper end of each finger 6 is preferably bent at 8 at an angle of aboutand enters a slot in the ball. The ball is then secured to the finger bysolder or otherwise. The outer point of the ball 7 is thus about on aline with the dirt or bacteria. The upper ends of the retractile fingers6 normally lie just within the mouth of the cup as illustrated in Fig. 1of the drawings. Vfhen in this position, it will be seen that the flange5 of the top cup will engage the balls or noses 7 if an attempt is madeto remove the cup from the container l. When this occurs the retractilefingers 6 are adapted to be drawn along with the cup until the balls ornoses get well beyond the edge of the container mouth. The upper ends ofthe fingers 6 are adapted to be bent radiall outward in any suitable wayby the fares the T and eone-av lease of the cup. For this reason Ipreferably make the fingers or at least the upper ends thereof quiteflexible. When the top cup and the fingers 6 are drawn up to theposition shown in Fig. 2 the pressure of the cup flange on the noseswill flex the fingers over the edge of the container thereby permittingrelease of the cup.

l have mentioned that the fingers 6 are retractile and they may be madeso in any suitable or preferred manner. To avoid the use of springs forretracting the finger 6, l preferably secure the lower ends of thefinger to a heavy metal disk 9 the weight of which is-suflicient toquickly draw down the fingers after releasing the top cup as hereinbefore described. The flexibility of the fingers together with theretraction thereof will cause the noses or balls 7 to move downward andinward below the flange of the released cup and engage or be in positionto engage the flange of the succeeding cup. if the succeeding cup sticksto the top cup the blow of the noses 7 on the flange thereof will besuflicient to loosen the cup and permit it to drop back into the container. At the same time the fingers 6 will return to normal position asshown in Fig. l of the drawings.

The lower ends of the fingers 6 may be secured to the disk 9 in anysuitable or preferred manner. Preferably however, I will transverseslots in the edge of the disk 9 of a width equal to the width of thespring metal used. The slots are deeper than the thickness of the metalof the fingers so that the latter can be secured therein by peening themetal of the disk over the edges of the fingers as will be moreparticularly seen at 10 in Fig. 5 of the drawings; To more firmly securethe fingers 6 to the disk 9 the lower ends of the fingers at 11 may bebent at right angles so as to lie in contact with the under face of thedisk 9 where they may be soldered or otherwise secured.

By mounting the fingers 6 upon the disk 9 they become a unit and can beremoved and replaced readily and the inside of the container may be keptclean and free from bacteria.

The cups are placed in the container by first removing the spring fingerunit and slipping the stack of cups in between the fingers until thelower cup rests on the disk 9. The stack of cups with the fingers anddisk are then dropped into the container where they will assume theposition shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Nhen the cover 2 is over thecontainer the cups will be kept from dust or other contamination. a cupis required the cover is removed and the top cup is grasped in thefingers and lifted straight up. as the flange of the top cue ears themouth of the container, it will noses or balls 7 and the 6 stance theretractile fingers may be hinged or flexibly attached at a particularplace near theupper ends thereof or made entirely integral as preferredand they may be united and retracted in various ways.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for flanged paper cups comprising an open mouthedcontainer and retractile fingers parallel with the axis of the containeradapted by engagement with the flange of a cup in withdrawing the sameto be moved axially of the container and flexed over the edge of themouth of said container to release the cup.

2. A dispenser for flanged paper cups comprising an open mouthedcontainer, retractile fingers parallel with the axis of the containeradapted by engagement with the flange of a cup in withdrawing the sameto be moved axiall of the container and flexed over the edge 0 the mouthof said container to release the cup and means adapted to retract saidfingers after the release of the cup.

3. A dispenser for flanged paper cups comprising an open mouthedcontainer, a plurality of retractile fingers movable parallel with theaxis of the container, noses on said fingers adapted to be engaged bythe flange of a cup in withdrawing the same whereby said fingers aredrawn outward and flexed over the edge of said container to release thecup and means for retracting said fingers.

4. A dispenser for flanged paper cups comprising an open mouthedcontainer, re-

. tractile fingers parallel with the axis of the container adapted tolie between the cups and the wall of said container, means ex-,

tending transversely of the container below the cups for connecting saidfingers to move in unison and noses on the ends of said fingers adaptedto be engaged by the flange of a cup in withdrawing the same from thecontainer, saidfingers being adapted to be drawn out of the mouth of thecontainer and flexed over the edge thereof to release said cup.

5. A dispenser for flanged paper cups comprising an open mouthedcontainer, a plurality of circumferentially spaced retractile fingersadapted to extend toward the mouth of said container between the wallthereof and the cups, means adapted to retract said fingers so that theupper ends thereof are normally within the mouth of said container, andknobs or noses on the ends of said fingers adapted to be engaged by theflange of a cup in withdrawing the same, whereby said fingers are drawnout of the mouth of the container and flexed over the edge thereof torelease the cup, said fingers being retracted to normal position afterthe release of the cup.

6. A dispenser for flanged paper cups comprising an open mouthedcontainer adapted to hold a stack of nested cups, a plurality ofretractile, flexible fingers spaced circumferentially within thecontainer about the stack of cups and provided with radially projectingnoses adapted to be engaged by the flange of a cup in withdrawing thesame from the stack, said fingers being drawn out of the mouth of thecontainer and flexed over the edge thereof to release the cup.

7 A dispenser for flanged paper cups comprising an open mouthedcontalner adapted to-hold a stack of nested cups, a plurality ofretractile, flexible fingers spaced circumferentially within thecontainer about the stack of cups and provided with radially projectingnoses adapted to be engaged by the flange of a cup in withdrawmg thesame from the stack, said fingers, when thus engaged by the flange of acup, being adapted to be drawn out of the mouth or the container and"flexed over the edge thereof to release said cup and means forretracting said fingers whereby said noses are adapted to engage thesucceeding cup of the stack.

MARQUIS H. LOCKWOOD.

